Fire-escape.



No. 708,|20.- Patented'Sep't. 2, I902.

.1. m. BRAZILL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed Dec. 2, 1901.)

(No Model.) .4 Sheets-Sheet I.

1.. J E W WWI/MM: Q 3mm WJ6m' ms co, PHOYOLWHO.WAS 1INUTON n c No. 708,l20. Pate'n'ted Sept. 2. I902.

.1. M. BRAZILL. FIRE ESCAPE,

{Application filed Dec. 2; 1901.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-sheet 2.-

No. 703,|20. Patehted Sept. 2, 1902.

J. m. BRAZILL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Applicaticn filed Doc. 2, 1901.)

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3. an i 1s PETERS ca. were LTHO vvAsmN No. 708,|20. Patented Sept; 2,1902.

J. M. BRAZILL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application fil ed Dec. 2, 1901.) E (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

ig/.5; E q;

mar

Mwfl-M 777. 03

4 M 'v wau My f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

' JAMES M. BRAZILL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,120, dated September 2, 1902.

Application filed December 2. 1901. Serial No. 84,372. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. BRAZILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York,vhaveinvented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a speci fication. V

The object of myinvention is the construction of a fire-escape consisting in an outside stairway involving as little material and at as low an expense as consistent with thorough efficiency. v

The accompanying drawings,illustrating my invention, are as follows: V 1

Figure l is aplan View of any one of the main platforms or balconies except the one at the first floor above the ground floor, such platforms located immediately beneath awindow or other exit from the building. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a platform intermediate between any two of such main platforms, as seen inFig. 1. Fig.3 is a front elevation of my fire-escape, while Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations as seen from theleft and right hand sides, respectively. Fig. 6 shows a modified detail. Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The drawings illustrate the first two doors above the ground floor of so much of a'building as is necessary to be shown in connection with my fire-escape, J representing the joist of such first and second floors,and W the wall of the building. (Seen in section in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5 and in elevation in' Fig. On the first fioor are seen windows 10 and w, and on the second fioor windows 4,0 and we.

In my fire-escape I make use of angle-irons h 71*, extending out horizontally froi nbeneath each of thewindows from which it is desired to provide an exit. These angle-irons are secured to the wall by means of bolts h extending therethrough. From thelower angle-pieces h and extending to the top of the structure are seen the vertically-disposed angle-iron pieces it a, which, by means of gusset-blocks r, are connected to the horizontallyarranged angle-irons h' h and WW, just referred to. Between these vertical pieces a and a there extends horizontally the'angle irons t and u and c, all similarly secured, as

seen, by means of gusset-blocks 1". Two other vertically-disposed angle-irons 0t and a are seen located a short distance apart and near the center laterally of the fire-escape and nearer to the building than the angle-irons a and a byjust the width of the stairway. These angle-irons a and a as seen in Fig. 3, are bent at their lower ends so as to rest, respectively, upon the left and right hand angle-irons 72., From each of the gusset-blocks r, joining the horizontal angle-irons h, h, and 71 to the vertical angle-irons a. and a, there extend obliquely upward and toward the building the sustaining-rods s, secured at their lower ends in these gusset-blocks rand at their upper ends in the horizontal angleirons 'h h, 850., whereby the weight carried by each pair of the horizontal angle-irons h h, h h, and h 77. of the several platforms is sustained at their inner ends directly from the wall and at their outer ends by means of these'rods 8, taking support from the horizontal angle-irons h h'or k it immediately above and at points near the surface of the wall 'of the building.

Immediately beneath each pair of adjacent windows on each floor from which it is intended toprovide an exit is located a balcony consisting in the horizontal angleirons c c for the lower'floor and c c for the next floor, resting upon the short horizontal angle-irons b at their extreme ends, which in turn constitute the upper members of the triangular brackets,consisting also in the elements I) and 19 The angle-irons b are also supported from the wall by means of bolts 71 extending therelower ends to the outer horizontal angle-irons c of the lower balcony,.as indicated. The outer or left-hand pair of string-pieces i and '6' have their upper ends secured to the horizontal member d, while the inner or righthand pair of string-pieces t and 2' are secured at their upper ends to the vertically-disposed angle-iron a Between these string-pieces t and z" and t' and t are provided and secured the horizontal tread-supports p, formed of angle-iron in the usual way and securely riveted to the respective string-pieces. Parallel with the horizontal member d (seen in Fig. 4) there is secured a similar piece d, as seen in Fig. 5, its outer end secured to the righthand end of the member u and its inner end secured to the upright Q The corner formed by the member to and the member (1, just referred to, is supported in the manner just about to be described.

Between the vertical pieces a and ct and opposite about the middle of the lower windows, as seen in Fig. 3, there is secured, by means of gusset-blocks r, a horizontal angleiron IL, from which there extends downward and obliquely to the left the string-piecesj andj secured at their lower ends to the horizontal angle-iron It, thus supporting this angle-iron u and that corner of the platform or landingfformed thereby in connection with the angle-iron (1, extending from this angleiron at to the upright a Between these string-piecesj andj there is horizontally secured a tread-support p, and on the same level therewith,between the angle-irons a and a, there is secured a similar tread-supportp, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. These last-described tread-supports are used to support a step intermediate between the platformf, just described, and the platformf,to be described. From this horizontal member 'u there extends inwardly the angle-piece 01, secured at its outer end to the angle-piece u and at its inner end to the vertical member a From the vertical member a and secured thereto by means of gusset-blocks r, as indicated, there extends horizontally another angle-iron d, having secured to its inner end the lower ends of the string-pieces 7e 7e, whose upper ends are secured to the right-hand horizontal angle-iron h". These string-pieces and 7c serve to support the inner end of this last-mentioned horizontal member d. As indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, similar string-pieces k and 7& have their lower ends secured to the vertical member a and are also secured at their upper ends to the horizontal member 0. Between each of these pair of string-pieces 7.: and 70 and k and k there are secured the usual tread-supports of angle-iron, supporting the steps leading from the platformf, as seen in Fig. 2, to the platform 6. This platform 6 consists in the horizontal members 0, one located next to the wall and the other at the outer edge of this platform 6 and both of such members 0 resting upon the horizontal members 7L. From this platform c there extends obliquely upward and outward to the platform f a flight of steps consistingin the string-pieces on and m, supported in a way similar to that already described in reference to the string-pieces z' and t" and secured at their upper ends to a horizontal member d Of these members d there are two, one secured at its outer end to the upright a, and the other secured at its outer end to the righthand end of a horizontal member 1;, and from this member 1 there extends upwardly and to the right, as seen in Fig. 3, string-pieces n and 11, secured at their upper ends to ahorizontal member t in the same Way that the string-pieces j and j are secured to and between the horizontal members u and It. Between these string-pieces n and it there is secured a tread-supportp, on a level with which a similar tread-supportp is secured to the vertical members a) and a thus constituting a support for the step intermediate between the platforms f and f This platform f is carried by the horizontal member o, just referred to, and two horizontal members (Z one extending toward the building from near the middle of the member 1;, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, and secured to the upright a while, as indicated in Fig. 5, the other member cl is secured at its outer end to the upright a and at its inner end is supported by the lower end of the string-pieces 0 and 0', having their upper ends secured, as indicated in Fig. 5, also to the right-hand horizontal member 71.

As indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, string-pieces o and 0 are secured at their low'erends to the upright a and at their upper ends to the horizontal member 0 Between each pair of string-pieces o and 0 0 and 0 are secured in the usual way the tread-supports 19, constituting supports for the steps leading from the platform f to the second balcony 6 The balcony e, opposite the lower windows, has around it a railing q, which, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, is extended upward at q and secured to the vertical member a. From the vertical member a there extends obliquely upward asimilar railing q, joined to the railing q around the platform 6. From this railing q there extends obliquely upward another section of the railing q, secured to the vertical member (1 and from the vertical member 0. a similar railing q is extended upward, so as to join with the railing q of the upper balcony.

I will now describe the course a person would take in passing from the upper balcony to the lower balcony through my fireescape, exit to this upper balcony being afforded by means of the windows to and 10 After reaching the balcony one would pass to the right of the middle thereof and downward and outward on the steps leading therefrom to the platform f thence to the left, as seen in Fig. 3, downward two steps upon the platform f thence downward and toward the building onto the platform e, thence to the right-hand end of such platform, as seen in Fig. 2, thencedownward and outward from the building upon the platform f, thence down two steps therefrom to the platform f, thence downward and toward the building upon the lower balcony e. No provision is shown for reaching the ground from the lower balcony e, as for that purpose the usual swing- I ing'ladder or any similar means may be provided. My inventioncontemplates only the reaching of the lower balcony from the different upper stories of the building to which it may be applied.

Refer now to Fig. 6. Instead of connecting the string-pieces, such as those seen in Fig. 6,'m and m directly to the angle-iron o I have sometimes found it preferable to secure each of such string-pieces to a vertical membery, which in turn is secured at its lower end to the angle-iron 0. By this modification any forging in the process of putting up the fire-escape is rendered unnecessary. What I claim is 1. In an outside stairway for a fire-escape, in combination with the four vertical members constituting the outer andinner corners around which the stairway is built, horizontal pieces connecting the outside vertical members together and horizontal members also connecting such outside vertical members with the building, such last-named horizontal members constituting supports for the several platforms or balconies next to the building, flights of steps leading from the platforms next to the building to the platforms or landings supported by such vertical members and carried around such inner vertical members and within such outer veri tical members, tie-rods extending obliquely several platforms orbalconies next to the building, flights of steps leading from the platforms next to the building to the platforms or landings supported by such'vertical members and carried around such inner vertical members and within such outer vertical members, and tie-rods extending obliquely downward and outward from the building and supporting the outer vertical members and the horizontal members by connections therewithat or near their junction, all of such vertical members supported from and connected with such horizontal members.

JAMES M. BRAZILL.

Witnesses:

EDWARD O. EDELMAN, ETHA M. SMITH. 

